NGO urges House of Representatives to pass Disability Bill

The Centre for Citizens With Disabilities (CCD), a non-governmental organisation, has urged the House of Representatives to pass its Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Bill (DAPDB).

The Executive Director of the organisation, Mr. David Anyaele, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos.

He said that without the passage of the bill, persons with disabilities would continue to suffer setbacks.

He appealed to the House of Representatives to ensure the harmonisation of the bill with the Senate before its transmission to President Mohammad Buhari for assent.

The Senate had on July 13 passed the DAPDB.

The bill aimed at protecting more than 25 million Nigerians living with different forms of disability against all forms of discrimination and harmful practices.

Anyaele said his organisation was pleased that the senate endorsed the bill, adding that it was hopeful that the lower house would follow suit..

It is exciting that the Senate has passed the DAPDB; it is a clear demonstration of the eighth Senate concern over the plights of citizens with disabilities.

It is our expectation that the House of Representatives will follow suit by passing the bill so as to enable its harmonisation before transmission to the president for assent,’’ he said.

Anyaele said that the bill contained provisions that would ensure that people living with disabilities in Nigeria were protected against discrimination.

He also said that the bill provided right of access to public premises, accessibility aids at public buildings, access to road and side walk among others.

He said: “The law provided for the right to free education, right to free healthcare, prohibition of segregation, right to work and employment and provision of special communication at hospitals.

It also has provisions for right to participation in politics, and a National Commission to address complaints of harassment, discrimination and harmful practices against persons with disabilities, among others’’.

Anyaele expressed concern that the delay of the passage of the bill at the lower chamber of the National Assembly represented a challenge.

According to him, the bill has yet to be presented at the floor of the lower chamber for first reading.

He said: “I am also concerned that the House of Representatives may develop fatigue on this bill.

This bill has passed through the lower House several times. It makes the bill to continue to suffer higher gestation period.

In fact, I am really worried that our partners are developing fatigue in supporting this advocacy, knowing full well that the bulk of the funding is from our international partners’’.

He said that the way forward to ensure the passage of the bill was to re-strategise and come up with new engagement pattern to attract the sympathy of the lower chamber.

This will involve using formal and informal approach for advocacy and sensitisation of stakeholders,’’ Anyaele said.